PRECISION SEALING SINCE 1995
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Technical Guide

Static vs Dynamic O-Ring Sealing — Design Guide

Static vs dynamic O-Ring sealing explained — gland design, compression percentage, surface finish and compound selection differ significantly between static and dynamic applications.

PropertySTATICDYNAMIC-ORINGS
Groove (gland) compression15–30%10–20% (less squeeze to reduce friction)
Surface finish (Ra)0.8–1.6 µm acceptable0.2–0.4 µm (reciprocating); 0.1–0.2 µm (rotary)
Typical compound hardness70 Shore A standard70–90 Shore A (harder = less extrusion)
PTFE back-up ring required?Above 10 MPa typicallyLess critical — depends on design
LubricationNot always requiredUsually required — reduces friction and wear
Key failure modeCompression set, chemical attackWear, spiral failure, extrusion

Static seals (no relative motion between mating surfaces) can tolerate higher compression and coarser surface finishes. Dynamic seals (reciprocating piston/rod, oscillating, rotating) need tighter surface finishes, lower compression to reduce friction and heat, and often higher-hardness compounds to resist extrusion under pressure. O-Ring kits for maintenance should specify compound hardness and whether the application is static or dynamic.

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